Game Changers For The Sleep Deprived

Sleep. We all need sleep, but very few people truly get enough sleep on a regular basis. Sleep deprivation is a common struggle for our society, with problems constantly on the rise. Are you sleep deprived? Chances are if you’re reading this you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep at night. It can seem like a simple enough task to just get enough sleep, but it’s not always that easy. We’ve struggled with sleep deprivation ourselves and know the toll it can take on your health, lifestyle and overall mood. So we decided to do some research and share some of our findings with you. These are some of our favorite game changers for the sleep deprived to try out for yourself.

Reduce as Much Light as Possible
In today’s world, we’re all constantly connected and being exposed to different light sources. One of the common discoveries we’ve found is that watching television, using your phone or electronic devices in bed or too close to the time you go to bed can negatively impact your sleep habits. Because these types of lights trigger our brains to stay “on” in a sense, it’s very difficult to shut off and get to bed in a timely manner. That being said, one of the best things to do is make it a routine to shut off all technology devices at a certain time giving you and your brain enough time to wind down before getting into bed. This helps you to get into a more natural sleep state, much quicker. Additionally, limiting the amount of light in your bedroom altogether can play a huge role. Take a look around your bedroom and determine whether or not you have some additional light sources that are creeping in when it’s time for lights out. Eliminate as many as you can to give yourself a much darker, more natural sleep environment.

Give Yourself a Bedtime
It may sound silly, but giving yourself a strict bedtime can help you and your body get into a better sleep routine. When you roll into bed at different times every night, it’s much more difficult to get into a real schedule which is often what leads to sleep deprivation in the first place. Decide on a reasonable bedtime for yourself and really be strict on getting yourself to bed at that time every night. Experts suggest that the better you are with a routine the better sleep you’ll get, helping to eliminate a lot of sleep deprivation from resulting.

Eliminate as Much Sound as Possible
Similar to the light, when we’re exposed to a lot of sound while winding down for the night it makes it much more difficult to actually fall asleep. Take some time to really listen to the sounds that are in your bedroom at night, which of those sounds are you able to eliminate altogether or at least tone down? If the area you live in is generally loud, consider nighttime ear plugs to cancel out some of the sound.